Ethiopia’s Health Extension Program (HEP), launched in 2003 to expand access to primary healthcare, faces challenges with staff inefficiency, including absenteeism and unproductive work. This study explored why health extension workers (HEWs) struggle to use their time effectively. Interviews and focus groups revealed that HEWs often spend time on non-health tasks like … [Read more...] about Insights to optimizing health extension workers’ time use and efficiency in Ethiopia: a qualitative study
Synthesising key findings from Indonesia’s first civil society-led forum on primary health care: PHC forum, Jakarta, 13-14 November 2023
The 2023 PHC Forum in Jakarta brought together 783 participants from around the world to discuss how to strengthen primary health care (PHC) and improve health equity. Key themes included investing in PHC to achieve universal health coverage, empowering communities as active partners, supporting community health workers with fair pay and conditions, increasing funding, using … [Read more...] about Synthesising key findings from Indonesia’s first civil society-led forum on primary health care: PHC forum, Jakarta, 13-14 November 2023
Evaluating the impact of structured training programs for village health workers on healthcare delivery in resource-limited settings: Evidence from The Gambia
This study looked at how training programs can improve the skills of Village Health Workers (VHWs) in The Gambia. VHWs were trained on child health, nutrition, sanitation, and disease prevention. Results showed a big increase in knowledge and skills after training, especially among older participants and those with more education. Men and women performed equally well. The … [Read more...] about Evaluating the impact of structured training programs for village health workers on healthcare delivery in resource-limited settings: Evidence from The Gambia
Diet Quality Among Community Members With Diabetes and Food Insecurity in Northwest Arkansas: Comparison Across 3 Racial/Ethnic Groups
This study looked at diet quality among Hispanic, Marshallese, and White adults with type 2 diabetes who experience food insecurity in Arkansas. Using dietary recalls collected by community health workers, researchers found that Hispanic participants had the highest diet quality scores, followed by Marshallese, then White participants. The findings suggest that nutrition … [Read more...] about Diet Quality Among Community Members With Diabetes and Food Insecurity in Northwest Arkansas: Comparison Across 3 Racial/Ethnic Groups
Utilizing an mHealth Platform and Community Health Workers to Enhance Epilepsy Screening and Treatment in a Rural Setting in Mali: A Closed Cohort Study
This study tested using mobile health tools to help community health workers in rural Mali screen and treat epilepsy. In 17 villages, workers used a phone app to record patient data and share it with neurologists remotely. Of 64 suspected cases, 61 were confirmed. After six months of treatment, nearly 90% of patients had no seizures in the previous month, and most stayed in … [Read more...] about Utilizing an mHealth Platform and Community Health Workers to Enhance Epilepsy Screening and Treatment in a Rural Setting in Mali: A Closed Cohort Study